1 Grace Hill

The Metronome building is one of the largest spaces included in the initiative and charts an impressive history in Folkestone Town. Its success in its early years even prompted the building of the Cinema located and still operating in Guildhall Street.

Originally housing a music hall, which became a garage, and then a skating rink, the Electric Theatre was opened on 3rd May 1910. The conversion was designed by architect A.R Bowles. Seating was provided for 400, all on a single floor. Patrons entered the auditorium from behind the screen, which was at the street end of the building. It was so successful that the owners employed A.R Bowles to design their much larger Playhouse Super Cinema in nearby Guildhall Street in 1912.

The Electric Theatre was re-named Savoy Theatre in around 1928. Disaster struck on 13th December 1928, when a fire began at the front of the building, destroying the structure.

It was re-built and re-opened as Savoy Super Cinema on 20th June 1929 with Sir John Martin Harvey. The Savoy Super Cinema was closed on 27th July 1940, due to wartime conditions. Taken over by the Star Cinemas chain in the late 1950’s, they introduced part time bingo in October 1961, and soon after, it was closed as a cinema and became a Star Bingo Club. This had closed by 1987 and the building was unused. It was last used as a nightclub and live music venue named ‘Metronome’, which closed in the mid-2000’s.

1 Grace Hill

The scope of the eligible work is to the frontage of the building onto Grace Hill. Plans include:

Ground floor works for the re-instatement of entrance doors and screen

Entrance flooring works to the Carrara marble and tiles

Re-instatement of timber panelling around timber columns and entrance area ceilings

Six replacement timber sash windows to the front elevation

Rain water goods to be replaced in cast iron and lead works to the frontage

Render repairs to the front and decoration

The works include enabling works of scaffolding and health & safety (CDM).

The property is currently vacant and unused. Change of use has been approved for the conversion of first, second and third floors to three self-contained flats. The theatre area is unaffected by these works.